Fact sheet for exchange students from partner universities

About and the university

Paderborn University provides a friendly and safe environment for studying, recreation and living.

Paderborn is a modern town with approximately 150,000 inhabitants. It is one of the economic centers of the region of East Westphalia and home to some of the world’s leading industrial corporations such as Siemens, Wincor Nixdorf, Benteler, dSpace, Hella and Stute. Its favourable position in the heart of makes it an ideal base for discovering the country and its people; familiar and popular destinations such as Cologne, , and Munich are within easy reach. The town can look back on a long and interesting history. It was first mentioned in the historical records 1,200 years ago after the founding of the Holy Roman Empire. Nowadays, Paderborn, which is surrounded by a charming countryside, is a lively cultural center with theaters and cinemas, concerts from classical to jazz, a vibrant arts scene, clubs and entertainment, museums – including the world’s largest computer museum – art galleries, and a generous range of sports and recreational activities, from water sports, horse riding and indoor carts to parachuting and paragliding.

“The University for the Information Society” in Paderborn is a mid-sized fully accredited state university offering all types of degrees, including PhDs and post-doctoral lecture qualifications. It offers a broad spectrum of subjects in five faculties:

• Arts & Humanities • Business Administration & Economics • Science • Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science • Electrical Engineering & Mathematics

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Paderborn University attaches great importance to the internationalisation of research and teaching. About 1,500 foreign students as well as many visiting scientists and lecturers, create an international atmosphere on campus. Our ~ 200 global university partnerships are the product of long-term research cooperation projects. Each year, about 350 Paderborn students are sent abroad and, in return, students from partner universities come to Paderborn.

Academic and support program for exchange students

Exchange students are free to choose from most of the courses Paderborn University offers for their selected field of study. International graduate courses that are taught entirely in English include Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Systems Engineering, Physics, International Economics & Management and English & American Studies. These courses are open for graduate exchange students as well as advanced undergraduate students with sufficient prior knowledge of the subject matter. For more information and downloads, please check our website https://www.uni-paderborn.de/en/studium/international- office/austauschstudierende-incoming/study/

German Language Courses

UPB exchange students can currently choose from the following range of courses*: Course type Structure Language Teaching times and Credits Fees for level GER units exchange students ~ 4 weeks before the Time schedule will be official lecture period/ start A1 – available once the Crash Course 5 ECTS FREE of the semester, B2/C1 course starts September and March 80 units Time schedule will be Semester 12 weeks A1 – available once the Afternoon during the lecture period 8 ECTS FREE B2/C1 course starts Course Oct – Feb / April - July 120 units / semester

* Please note that the German course offer and course fee structure at Paderborn University is under regular review and may be subject to change. For more information, please contact the International Office. . 2

Paderborn University’s Support and Cultural Orientation Program for exchange students:

• Accommodation organized by the university • 1:1 buddy system helping students to settle in and ensuring a smooth transition into the “German way of life” • Academic and non-academic orientation sessions • Comprehensive cultural semester program with day and weekend trips, parties, museum visits and other events, organized by the student association Eurobiz • Semester ticket for free public transport in Paderborn and in all of the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia (fee: ca. €320 / semester)

Please contact us for further information or if you have any questions!

Institution Paderborn University International Office Address Warburger Str. 100 Post Code and City 33098 Paderborn Country Germany Contact for incoming Martina Schrade Nicole Struzek students Incoming Advisor/ Deputy Head of Study-related questions and International Office language courses Admission and general enquiries

Telephone/ E-mail +49 (0)5251 60-3208 +49 (0)5251 60-5679 [email protected] [email protected] Contact Outgoing [email protected] Coordinators go.upb.de/outgoingexchange

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PADERBORN ACADEMIC CALENDER - INFORMATION FOR EXCHANGE STUDENTS

Institution Paderborn University International Office Address Warburger Str. 100 Post Code and City 33098 Paderborn Country Germany Contact for incoming Ms Martina Schrade Ms Nicole Struzek Incoming Exchange Advisor/ Deputy Head Incoming Exchange Advisor Students International Office

Admission and general enquiries Study-related questions and language courses Telephone/Fax/ E-mail +49 (0)5251 60-3208 Fax: 60-3537 +49 (0)5251 60-5679 Fax: 60-3537, [email protected] [email protected] Building/Office no. Building I; office no.: I4.201 Building I; office no.: I4.204

ACADEMIC CALENDAR INFORMATION

Winter Semester 2020 - 21 Summer Semester 2021 Online nomination period 15 April - 15 May, 2020 15 October - 15 November, 2020 Online application period 1 May - 1 June, 2020 1 November - 1 December, 2020 Orientation program starts 2 September, 2020 starts 2 March, 2021

German Language Courses Pre-semester Crash Course Starts 2 September, 2020 starts 2 March, 2021

Semester Afternoon Course 26 October, 2020 – 31 January, 2021 26 April – 17 July, 2021 12 October, 2020 – 05 February, 2021 12 April – 23 July, 2021 Lecture period

Please note: exams typically take place Please note: exams typically take place after the end of the lecture period! after the end of the lecture period!

Examination dates will be announced by the Examination dates will be announced by the faculties during the semester and are not faculties during the semester and are not known beforehand. known beforehand. Public holidays/ Vacations 3 October, 1 November, 2020, 2 April, 5 April, 1 May, 13 May, 24 May, 3 Christmas holidays June, 2021

GERMAN LANGUAGE COURSES

All courses are optional and taught a) Pre-semester Crash Course on all CEFR levels (A1 – C1) Intensive four-weeks German course before the official lecture period, daily classes 80 teaching units / FREE for exchange students * Please note that the German course b) Semester Course offer and course fee structure at Pader- Classes during the lecture period; exact schedule will be available once the course starts born University is under regular review and may be subject to change.* 120 teaching units / FREE for exchange students

ACCOMMODATION INFORMATION

Contact for accommodation Mr Frank Schmelter (Student Services)

Address Mersinweg 2, 33100 Paderborn, Germany Telephone + 49 (0) 5251 89296-690 Fax +49 (0) 5251 89207-605 Email [email protected] Organization of Approx. 3-4 weeks before arrival, depending on availability of rooms. accommodation Please note that accommodation can be provided upon availability only; Paderborn Universi- ty assists students in finding accommodation, however, is not obliged to guarantee housing to students. In case that Paderborn University cannot offer enough and suitable accommo- dation, students will be asked to search for housing themselves. Please note that the rooms and flats are furnished, however, table - and kitchenware as well Equipment of as pillows and blankets mostly have to be purchased by the students themselves. rooms/accommodation Besides the monthly rental amount, students will typically need to pay a deposit that is usu- ally of the same amount as the monthly rent. When students move out and the room/flat is in appropriate condition they will receive the full deposit back.

Students are free to look for a room themselves through agencies or websites or they can Type of accommodation opt to reserve it via the Studierendenwerk (student services). They have several choices of types of accommodation*: • Dormitories on campus: Exchange students will usually be offered a room in shared flats in the residence hall “Vogeliusweg”. Most flats will be inhabited by 2 – 4 students; kitchen and bathroom are shared. • Rooms in the city/ shared flats: Many German students live in shared flats called “WG” (Wohngemeinschaft). This means that they have a room of their own and share the kitchen, bathroom and living room with typically 1 - 3 roommates. The furnished rooms offered are usually rooms of Paderborn students who study abroad for a semester or two and would like to offer their room for rent in Pader- born to an exchange student while they are abroad. • Single apartment/ flat: Single apartments offer a greater amount of independence, however, are usually slightly more expensive to rent than other rooms/ shared flats.

• Room with access to a family: If available, we sometimes also offer the oppor- tunity for students to stay in a family’s or person’s house with direct contact to the family/ person. This form of accommodation requires a strong level of consideration and respect for each other. We cannot guarantee the availability of these rooms each semester.

• * The options of accommodation are subject to change every semester. There is no guarantee that all types of rooms/ flats mentioned here are available to exchange students each semester.

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In case students opt to rent a room in the campus dormitories, we strongly recommend to Arrival date & time plan the arrival on a weekday, not the weekend or a public holiday! Student services and janitors do not work on weekends and it might be difficult to arrange the handover of your room keys and the move-in process. Students should contact Mr Schmelter beforehand if unsure about when would be a good date and time to arrive. Students who live in private accommodation, need to make sure to get in touch with their landlord/-lady and/ or buddy and inform them of their arrival day and time to ensure that they have access to the flat or house. Starting in 2017, Paderborn’ student dormitories have been undergoing major refurbishing IMPORTANT works. The ongoing works might still affect the type and number of rooms available to ex- change students during the academic year 2019-20. Whilst we are strongly committed to assist students as much as we can in finding suitable accommodation in Paderborn, we might not be able to provide a room to all students arriving during that period from our end. In that case, students will be asked to organise accommodation themselves.

FINANCIAL MATTERS FOR EXCHANGE STUDENTS

Approximate cost of living per • Mandatory semester fee (includes semester travel ticket and social fees for ser- month (estimate in €) vices such as reduced costs for meals, housing services, and the work of Pader- born University’s student Union): about €320 • Accommodation: between €250 - €400 • “ARD ZDF Broadcast Contribution Services”: € 17.50 per month per household; amount can be shared by tenants living together in one household (https://www.rundfunkbeitrag.de/e175/e5280/Informationen_fuer_Studierende_Engl isch.pdf; https://www.rundfunkbeitrag.de/e175/e5283/Flyer_Buergerinnen_und_Buerger_EN .pdf) • Food: between €150 - €250 • Social activities: between €100 - €150 • Personal costs such as clothing, travel, books: between €120 - €180 • Health insurance plan, if applicable (please see information about health insurance below)

Total: between ~ €800 - €1000*

*Costs reflect the current situation and are subject to change. Tuition fees There are no tuition fees for exchange students. Semester ticket As part of the enrolment procedure at Paderborn University, students need to pay a manda- tory semester fee. The fee includes a travel ticket that allows students to use public trans- portation in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia during the entire semester for free. The semester fee, including the travel ticket, currently amounts to around €320 per semes- ter. Health insurance All students need to have full valid health insurance cover during their time in Germany – a travel insurance is sometimes enough for the visa process, however, it will not be enough cover for the duration of the studies! For EU residents it is sufficient to show us their European Health insurance card after arri- val. Non - EU residents have to take out a German insurance as normally no other type of international insurance will be accepted by the German insurance system and Pader- born University. Students are supposed to inform themselves about the different types of insurances and choose one accordingly. It is strongly recommended to take out a German public insurance as they provide the best cover and are fully recognised by Paderborn Uni- versity. Costs amount to about 90 EUR per month. More information about insurances are 3

send to student applicants once they have been nominated for a stay in Paderborn or can be found on Paderborn University’s website for the exchange program. Visa & resident permits EU - citizens Students who are citizens of a country within the European Union do not require a visa to study in Germany.

All other exchange students will need to check in advance of their stay in Paderborn whether they need to apply for a visa or not.

Citizens of Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand and the USA As a citizen of one of the above-mentioned countries, students are allowed to enter Germany without a visa, however, they will need to apply for a residence permit with the local authorities once they are here in Paderborn within 90 days after their arrival. Students are strongly advised to make sure to find out before their arrival from their local German embassy or consulate which types of documents, including any financial proof, they might need to bring when applying for their permit once in Paderborn.

Other countries Students from countries that require them to apply for a visa before entering Germany need to do this directly at their local German embassy or consulate in their home country at least six to eight weeks before their departure. It is strongly recommended to start this process as early as possible as it often takes a significant amount of time until a visa is approved and issued. For the visa application, students will need the “letter of admission” from Paderborn Univer- sity which will be available for them to download from their personal online application account once their application has been successfully completed and accepted. For any other documents or financial proof that might be required for obtaining a visa, students need to directly check the details with the local embassy officials. Students need to inform us as early as possible if they are facing any issues in receiving their visa and whether they might be arriving late.

Specific rules for third country nationals with a residence title from another EU mem- ber state: Students from third countries who have already been issued a residence title from another EU member state under the Directive on conditions of entry and residence (Directive 2016/801/EU), may come to Germany/ Paderborn without having to apply for a German residence title. It would be possible to stay in Germany for study purposes for a maximum of 360 days. Students falling under this directive need to inform Paderborn University about their resi- dence/ visa status and intention to come via the above-mentioned Directive as soon as they have received their letter of admission by Paderborn University. Paderborn University will then need to send a “notification“ to the National Contact Point at the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. In order to do so, the respective student will need to complete a notification form and send digital copies of the following documents to Paderborn University:

• A recognised, valid passport/replacement passport • Evidence of participation in a Union or multilateral programme incorporating mobility measures and of the validity of an agreement between two or more higher education institutions (e.g. proof of participation in the ERASMUS+ program) • Proof of admission to Paderborn University • Proof of subsistence (financial proof) • Proof of health insurance

All supporting documents – except the passport and the residence permit - need to be sub- mitted in German. In exceptional cases, copies are accepted in English. After checking its completeness, the Federal Office will transmit the notification to the re-

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spective local immigration office. If approved, the Federal Office will issue a certificate for mobility and the student may enter Germany. This certificate is declaratory only and not necessary for the entry to Germany. Should the immigration office deny the planned residence within 30 days after receiving the notification, the student would not be allowed to enter Germany.

Further information about this procedure as well as the link to the notification form can be found on the website of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees: http://www.bamf.de/EN/Migration/Studieren/studieren- node.html;jsessionid=00DCE49C47D86D82BA21BB2C04E09DD8.2_cid359

IMPORTANT: Any questions about the directive, the documents that need to be handed in or the general procedure need to be addressed directly with the service center of the Feder- al Office for Migration and Refugees. Contact details can be found below:

Email: [email protected] Phone: +49 911 943-0 (Mon – Fri; 09:00am – 03:00pm) Website: http://www.bamf.de/EN/Willkommen/InformationBeratung/Buergerservice/buergerservice- node.html

General information on visa issues and on how to get to Paderborn can also be found on Paderborn University’s website: http://www.uni-paderborn.de/en/studium/international-office/austauschstudierende- incoming/reasons-to-choose-paderborn/traveling-to-paderborn/#c158271.

SUPPORT & ORIENTATION

In addition to the 4-weeks German language crash course before the official start of the Orientation program semester, we are offering guided campus and city tours, excursions, weekend trips to other German cities, museums, outdoor activities, parties, and more, throughout the semester! Exchange students can choose to be teamed up with a student/volunteer from Paderborn Buddy program who will help them with the first steps after their arrival, visits to local authorities, etc. This is a great way of getting to know the University and Paderborn during the first couple of days and the perfect way to get in touch with Paderborn students. A buddy can, however, only be matched with an exchange student if enough volunteers have signed up for the program, so we cannot guarantee a buddy for every student!

ACADEMIC INFORMATION FOR EXCHANGE STUDENTS

General information for • http://www.uni-paderborn.de/en/home/ students • http://www.uni-paderborn.de/en/studium/international-office/austauschstudierende- incoming/

Faculties: Arts and Humanities http://kw.upb.de

Business Administration and Eco- https://wiwi.uni-paderborn.de/ nomics

Science http://nw.upb.de/

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http://mb.upb.de Mechanical Engineering

Computer Science, Electrical http://www.eim.upb.de Engineering and Mathematics

Course Catalogue (all depart- http://paul.upb.de/vvz ments)

Courses that are currently be- http://www.uni-paderborn.de/en/studium/international- ing offered in English office/austauschstudierende-incoming/studium/

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